1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains generally to gaming machines. More particularly, the present invention discloses a method and apparatus for providing gaming machines with time-sensitive awards in a dynamic manner, enabling tickets to be purchased by the casino only when a ticket is actually won by a player.
2. The Prior Art
Traditional Las Vegas style slot machines are generally well known. In particular, the slot machines have a display area visible to a player that allows viewing of either physical slot reels, reel strips, or video displays showing pseudo-reels. The reels either spin or appear to spin, stopping with various game indicia visible to the user through a viewing area or display.
In addition to the primary game, an increasing number of games have a bonus game or secondary game. Typical of this type of game is “Wheel Of Fortune”®, which upon a winning event in the primary game, lets a player hit a button that spins a wheel. When the wheel stops, and the player's bonus is increased by an amount indicated by the pointer or wheel indicator.
Other games play in an essentially similar way. A player plays the primary game until a triggering event occurs (i.e., certain symbols show up on the paylines of the reels, etc.). The game then enters a bonus or secondary game, where in some manner additional points (game credits) are awarded. This may be the spin of a wheel, an animated sequence where the player is made to believe they have input by pushing a button or touching the screen during the animation, or some type of fixed display sequence which results in an additional bonus. In all cases, some amount of additional game play points are awarded to the player. That completes the bonus or secondary game play.
The other common way in which players can win something more than a traditional jackpot is to play on a machine that is part of a progressive. Upon the occurrence of a winning event, in addition to any jackpot won on the local machine, a player also wins an amount shown on the progressive jackpot meter. The progressive jackpot meter is typically a single display above a bank of machines, showing the amount of money a player could win if they play on a machine in that bank, and hit the progressive jackpot.
These types of gaming machine enhancements are very limited, involving the win of additional game credits or a progressive jackpot. There is a need to provide additional player excitement upon the occurrence of a winning event, but in a manner that enables casinos to properly manage the award costs and the cash flow associated with any given prize or award.